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high blood pressure and anxiety

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hails63112
hails63112

Hi all. I posted a message some months ago regarding my BP, I went to the GP and ended up in hypertension crisis 200/110! My GP made me sit in the surgery for couple of hours and started me on amlodipine, this was fine until I had horrific side effects and ended up unable to walk, after few weeks was diagnosed with severe anxiety and stress so started on citalopram and propananol plus ramapril 5mg, it's been over a year now and I feel really good in myself and happy but have a phobia now of the BP machine, I had my own monitor but my family banned it as it made me worse, really want to visit GP and check it but very scared of Getting a high reading. I have worked so hard to change my life and don't get stressed and do yoga daily, anyone else feel the same? I am 38 yrs old

3 likes, 139 replies

139 Replies

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  • placemat
    placemat hails63112

    Posted

    Hello! I'm 39 and recently I have been having a few anxiety episodes. I'm on lisinopril and have been since I was 15. There is a condition called 'white coat syndrome' where you get stressed and anxious in the presence of doctors & dentists. My mother has it and the doctor said it is a known condition. Her BP sky rockets when she has to go to see the doc which then gives an over exaggerated reading on the machine.

    my anxiety I think is just a lifestyle and age thing. I get my mind into the hobbies & interests that I enjoy to take my mind of the other things that bother me. I hope you feel better soon.

  • Oregonjohn-UK
    Oregonjohn-UK hails63112

    Posted

    This may seem simply - but I was diagnosed about 15 years ago with hypertension and started on Amlodipine at 5 mg, then 3 years ago it was upped to 10 mg as BP had slowly risen.  A year ago, because of a great deal of stress, I contracted an autoimmune disorder which was diagnosed as PMR, this required me to be put on a high dose of steroids for an extended period.  The result was my BP dropped and my GP reduced my Amlodipine back down to 5 mg, in fact my personal readings are now below borderline.  The reading at the surgery were always higher BUT the practice introduced volunteers to take BP reading  which consisted of 3 at 5 min intervals - since then my reading have gone down (no stress not the doctor!!)  The other thing I personally have done is taken up Tai Chi for gently exercise and to reduce stress and it appears to be working well.  I'm 75, not over weight and quite fit, so a rise in BP is expected when you get older but I've not ever reached your levels!!  Best of luck.
    • hails63112
      hails63112 Oregonjohn-UK

      Posted

      Thank you Ore go John -uk

      Oh yes apparently I defy medical science! Don't know what that means! My BP is all over the place , I am 38 yrs old, exercise daily, eat healthy, feel well, great and happy but I struggle with anxiety and stress! I never get 2 similar readings in a row, it's weird! I am so sorry to say but I had amlodipine and it nearly destroyed my life! I take indapamide now but my GP won't increase although my bp still high because he feels it's anxiety and stress. good luck to you

    • Oregonjohn-UK
      Oregonjohn-UK hails63112

      Posted

      On your readings - mine are not always consistent.  In the mornings they are steady at below borderline and rise if I do some activity during the morning/afternoon.  This was sometimes the problem at the surgery, I would cycle in and the first reading was sky high the next couple were a lot lower.  It's quite normal for readings to be all over the place it's finding an average and this I have found by taking readings throughout the day over a week or two.  Stress will certainly cause BP to rise - try to keep this to a minimum - not always easy!smile
  • nathan72763
    nathan72763 hails63112

    Edited

    Dear Hails I'm exactly the same as you. I'm 70 now but when I was 23 my BP went higher and higher I decided to keep away from doctors. 20 years ago I bought an omeron and I got good readings then a few months later I got stressed out and got high readings that just got higher so t threw it away. I fefuse to have my BP tested I'm too terrified but I developed early stage kidney damage which can be caused by bp. The doctor said she must check my BP but I said no no so I bought a new omeron. For weeks I kept looking at it with ever increasing fear till finally I read that if I do it often I'll de sensitise so I made myself take it and it's been getting higher all day. It's now 229/115. I can't go on like this no one has ever understood the hell I go through. The more you try to control the anxiety the more you give it energy and the higher it goes.
    • amandi
      amandi nathan72763

      Posted

      Hi,

      I'm wondering how you're doing today? I have this blood pressure phobia as well..

    • hails63112
      hails63112 nathan72763

      Edited

      Thanks Nathan 72763

      Thankyou for your support, through the phobia councelling I am having to realise that I am feeding my phobia by thinking my BP will be high then it is high through anxiety so the whole thing starts again! I would say to you that you have had a problem since your 20s, and you are now 70 I'd say you are okay, It's a horrible thing but helps that you share your experiences. my BP is all over the place and my therapist things my GP should Write a paper on me! I don't know any more. Good luck to you and wish you health

    • nathan72763
      nathan72763 hails63112

      Posted

      Yes hails we know what the phobia guy is saying but does he suggest how to overcome the problem?

      im in UK I dont think we have phobia councillors here. 

      20 years ago before I was phobic with my omeron I would get ok readings at home but I only had to imagine I was going to the doctor to get checked and the bp would rocket.

      ive tried with a new omeron I bought recently and it took me a week looking at it as I was so scared finally I took the plunge at took 6 reading which just kept going higher and higher so I stopped as I thought I'll be dead. The whole things a bloody joke.

    • hails63112
      hails63112 nathan72763

      Posted

      Yes Nathan, I am in the UK, we do have phobia councelling and the referal came from my GP, the way to deal with it is de sensitization, do all the time, every day, no matter what the reading is because we know it's anxiety ! I take mine on my own monitor but cover it up with paper, I take it a few times, walk away until I feel calmer and then read results because I have a memory in my machine, try that it may help you
    • nathan72763
      nathan72763 hails63112

      Edited

      I'm too scared to take mine now. I saw the doctor and she said to try and forget it and give the monitor away. 

      In the old days people lived until they died and that's my plan. I can't deal with this. I asked the doctor if there was any help and she said there isn't so that's it.

    • hails63112
      hails63112 nathan72763

      Posted

      Oh that's such a shame Nathan, because there is help available, you should ask your GP to look into CBT - cognitive behaviour Therapy! It does help - I never thought I'd be taking my BP again but I am!

      I think throwing away the machine is fine but it depends if you want to sort out the problem or not, very unusual for a GP to do nothing - good luck

    • nathan72763
      nathan72763 hails63112

      Posted

      That's amazing that your using your machine again. No my doc said to quit and forget. I've got private medical and they said the same. I tried CBT, eft, hypnotherepy but nothing works for any of my anxiety issues. In general I'm better than ive ever been by no longer fighting it I'm much less anxious I use the word acceptance. It doesn't work with bp my doctor said the medics are responsible for terrorising thousands with bp and other treatments. 

      Im 70 now and ive never stopped seeking complimentary treatments for which ive spent thousands ie insomnia fear of flying and General anxiety since a breakdown at 23 and none of it helped much. My doctor thinks if ive got bp I should be ok because I'm slim vegan don't smoke or drink etc but if I think about bp it will send it up. 

      Im amazed how you seem to be beating it. What type of therepy do you have is it called cbt?

    • helen_07568
      helen_07568 nathan72763

      Posted

      Hi hails63112  and also nathan   I am in exactly the same boat as you two can.t take my bp was doing ok and lost my sister in Dec2015  so have to take it soon  
    • hails63112
      hails63112 nathan72763

      Posted

      Yes its a type of CBT, specifically designed for phobias, don't get me wrong, it is still very difficult to do but I have started to accept that it is anxiety and I feel well so I have to get my head around it. my GP shows no concern even when I have readings of 180 /120! He says it's anxiety and I would feel ill if my BP was high all the time! I just take it now, don't look at it and don't worry whatever the reading, have a go and see
    • Guest
      Guest nathan72763

      Edited

      Glad to read that you are better than you have ever been Nathan and accepting the anxiety for what it is. Very interested that your GP says that medics have terrified thousands about bp etc! That is so true. I am slowly recovering from physical side efx of taking bp and other meds for nearly 20 years. I am scared to take bp readings at as well but I find that taking 3 or 4 readings that the numbers drop substantially. And I always tell myself that they will drop anyway. Lije you I am sick of all this, I hate going near the GP and basically am focusing on being fit and healthy

      Sue B

    • nathan72763
      nathan72763 Guest

      Posted

      Yes I agree I'm vegan otherwise I'm m sure I'd be a goner with my bp💙
    • nathan72763
      nathan72763 hails63112

      Posted

      i never felt ill hails with bp. My problem is when  was 23 I knew somone 24 his kept going higher at do in those they never believed in white coat so put him in hospital  still it went higher and he died of burst arterie in head.

      my beloved mother had same from my cruel fathers stress and her aorta artery burst.. And she died. I wrote to you about a lady who overcame fear but they didn't send as they were moderating it?!!

      thank you for your help and contact.💙

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